Bettel stresses "common enemy" during Putin talks

Luxembourg's Prime Minister urged Russia to consult and collaborate with stakeholders when he spoke to President Putin about the common enemy of “terrorism and the Islamic State” in Syria.

07.10.2015

Luxembourg's Prime Minister urged Russia to consult and collaborate with stakeholders when he spoke to President Putin about the common enemy of “terrorism and the Islamic State” in Syria.

Xavier Bettel had a working meeting in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the second day of a two-day visit to Russia.

Bettel seemed to take a gentle approach to the subject of Syria, where Russia has been carrying out air strikes in support of Syria's government. It is also believed that Russia is building up military in Syria, including ground troops and ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Bettel stressed that the actions against extremism should be done in close consultation and through a close collaboration between all stakeholders.

"There is a common enemy in terrorism and Islamic state. We need to find common ways to fight them," he said.

On Monday, Bettel met his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, for a working meeting in Sochi.

The Russian delegation was completed by the Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, and Deputy Minister of Economic Development,Alexey Likhachev.

These discussions focused mainly on bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Russia. It was agreed to deepen economic ties between the two countries, especially in the field of logistics, both in rail transport than air.

On cooperation in the field of culture, research and education, Bettel mentioned that the multi-annual cultural agreement programme (2016-2018) between Russia and Luxembourg would be signed soon. This agreement provides scholarships for Russian students who wish to pursue their studies at the University of Luxembourg.